Preston Library subscribes to several fantastic news sources where people can find local, national, and international news. Like all of the library’s electronic resources, these are available on Post and via any Web connection for people who have VMI network accounts. Librarians recommend these news sources for Cadets of all years to find credible information, and they come with tools to help people in the research process.

One of the most highly-recommended news databases is Access World News, which provides online access to Lexington’s local weekly newspaper, the News-Gazette, and 100+ Virginia news sources, as well as news from around the world (as the name would suggest). A cool feature is the “Find a Topic” tool, and the database is also a good place to go for election news and information. We hope you’ll check it out.

Librarians at Preston Library are always trying to make sure we have available to cadets, faculty, and staff the best electronic resources that we can. This means that in addition to our 100+ online database subscriptions, we frequently have “trials” setup so the VMI community can try out a new database. Getting feedback from our users helps us decide whether to add a new resource.

Today we set up a trial with Geopolitical Monitor, an international intelligence publication and consultancy. The trial is live for a month and if you have any feedback, let us know.

A-Z databases, including new resources and trials.

All online resources are available at this page, and new and trial resources are highlighted on the left. Contracts with our database vendors allow online resources to be used by our students, faculty, and staff, and “walk-in” library users. Faculty, staff, and students can use the resources from off-campus with their network log-in credentials.

If you get a chance to try this out, we’d like to hear what you think.

It was in September 1966, when a new television science-fiction series began its first season on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network. It was Star Trek!

Star Trek was created by American writer and producer Gene Roddenberry. Each episode chronicled the exploits of the crew of the starship USS Enterprise, whose five-year mission was to explore space and “to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Amazingly Star Trek showed for only three seasons (1966–69).

Preston Library is celebrating “Banned Books Week” from 25 September to 1 October. This annual event celebrates our freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.

The American Library Association monitors the attempts made by individuals and groups to have books removed from library shelves and classrooms. Books that were on the list includes such literature as:

Today would have been Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday (he died in 1990). You might remember him from The BFG or James and the Giant Peach and The Witches, both of which are on the American Library Association’s list of most banned and challenged books from 1900-1999. To read more about why and how books are banned or challenged, visit the ALA’s website.

Prior to 1891, a type of rugby football was played between class and intramural teams. VMI adopted the “new style” football in 1891, after Cadet Walter H. Taylor encountered it while talking with enthusiastic players from Princeton and other northern colleges. VMI’s first intercollegiate game was played on October 31, 1891 against Washington and Lee, resulting in a 6-0 victory for the Institute. More football photos in the VMI Archives digital collections.